


Of Air and Angels

by Raggedy_man



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Friendship, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:09:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24721357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raggedy_man/pseuds/Raggedy_man
Summary: A rewrite of season three if Donna had said yes.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor & Donna Noble
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	1. The runaway bride

It was almost startling; the way she could see flashes of something completely foreign yet beautiful in the flecks of amber in his brooding eyes, ones framed by sweeping black eyelashes that caught splatters of delicate snowflakes with complete ease. She wondered if he could feel it too: the air of dark yet hopeful melancholy that poured from him and wrapped around her like a rope dangling her over the precipice of something remarkable. It was strong but not oppressive, unsettled but not stormy, and it made her pity the bold stranger that stood before her.

“Well you could always…” He started, silently begging her to fill in the blanks.

“What?” She teased back, regretting her response the minute she saw a flash of fear skirt across his eyes.

“Come with me.”

She tilted her head, the coy smirk she’d sported before forming into a tender smile. It was her eyes that sparked with fear now. Images of the Racnoss and the way it writhed under the sporadic spurts of water that had spilled into the basement flared in her mind. Her sodden dress suddenly became tighter, more suffocating, and the lump that Lance’s betrayal had planted in her throat suddenly became thicker.

“Oh spaceman.” She sighed, stepping closer so he could see her apprehension wasn’t due to a lack of trust. She absolutely trusted him. The barmy Martian with too much ego and a kind of reckless abandonment that would get him killed one day. “Do you live your life like that? All of the time? Because I think you do. And I don’t know if I could.”

“Donna.” It was his turn to sigh now, snapping his gaze away from her gentle features to consider the couple currently embracing in the Noble living room before focusing back on her. “Not always. It’s brilliant and magical and daring and sometimes, if you’re lucky,” He rambled, his childlike glee wrenching a smile from her that travelled all the way to her eyes. “It’s beautiful.”

She seemed almost taken aback by that, the haunting visions of before replaced by the Earth on the day it was born. She remembered the way the universe had altered around it, making room for new life, planting just the right combinations and quantities of elements in all of the right places so that dazzling collisions could take place. It was strange to think that even then, when she’d been nothing more than a shadow of energy floating through space, the universe had planned her. It had put all of the right things in place to bring her to now, standing outside of her house and facing an impossible man she so desperately wanted to follow into oblivion.

“That friend of yours. What was her name?” She questioned, spilling every ounce of care she could into what was a loaded question.

“Rose.” He all but whispered back, a dull, thrumming kind of pain tapping against his hearts.

“Yes.”

“What do you-? Oh. Really? You’ll come?” He lit up at that, bouncing from foot to foot in an effort to stop himself from grabbing her hand and launching the TARDIS into the time vortex immediately.

“Yes.”

“Donna Noble. Brilliant Donna Noble. All of time and space. Where do you want to go?” He grinned, halfway through the wooden doors already.

“Well, preferably the shower.” She started, watching with amusement as his face fell to a grimace. “And of course, I’ll have to talk to mum and dad, and I’ll have to pack my stuff and then there’s dinner...” He audibly groaned at that, the mere thought of awkward domesticity sending shivers down his spine. “And you can explain to my mum why you ruined a perfectly good wedding and why I haven’t even a husband to show for it.”

“But Donaaaaaaaa.” He groaned, slouching so he could look up at her with a childlike scowl.

“Can’t back out now spaceman.” She replied, turning away from him and trudging through her front door.

* * *

It was later, as she stood in the bathroom mirror, that the weight of the day hit her fully. She eyed her body with careful consideration, poking the bruises that pooled like petrol on her aching back. She’d taken her time in the shower; carefully washing any remnants of Donna Bennett from her skin and using copious amounts of shower gel to mask the stench of stale river water that lingered like a bad dream. She took a ginger curl and brought it to her nose, inhaling the mango of her shampoo before closing her eyes and allowing her head to swim with exhaustion. She wanted to cry, no, sob, and it took everything in her not to break down right there.

When she opened her eyes again, it wasn’t her looking back. It was someone lonely and desperate, clinging on to any kind of excitement she could find. Maybe she’d always been like that. It just took a few harsh words from Lance to open her eyes. She could see his sneering face so clearly it almost burned. The way he’d spat so much cruelty in the name of being honest. How he’d taken her infatuation and twisted it into something painful. She studied her eyes now: pools of murky green ocean with flecks of gold framed by puddles of smudged mascara. She did cry then, allowing a few hot tears to trail down her cheeks before a loud knock broke her from her thoughts.

“Donna?” A new yet familiar voice called softly. “Are you doing ok in there?”

“Fine.” She snapped harshly, still frozen to the spot. At some point she’d gripped the sides of the sink for support, the frigid porcelain sharp against her heat softened palms. She could've spent forever like that, scrutinising flaws others had already identified and calculating ways to rectify them. The alien outside, however, was completely oblivious to her pity party and leant against the locked door as she heaved herself away from the mirror, dressing in a white blouse and jeans, blue ones she’d discarded two days previously. He’d been rambling on about her mother and how she’d underestimated the optimum cooking temperature for a turkey and had hurt his feelings when she’d questioned him about his ‘intentions’.

“Done?” She questioned, opening the door with raised eyebrows, supressing a laugh when he stumbled unceremoniously into her shoulder.

“I mean it Donna! The temperature was wholly inadequate, and your mother is awful at taking criti- OW!”

“Leave my mother alone. We’re not staying anyway and unless you want another slap, I suggest you put that box into gear or sports mode or whatever it is you do.”

“It’s not a box, it’s a TARDIS and- are you ok?” He finished softly, noting her slightly bloodshot eyes.

“I will be.” She muttered back, pushing past him and bracing herself for the onslaught of questions Sylvia would no doubt bombard her with.

* * *

They sat in uncomfortable silence, Donna pushing a cold latke around her plate as the Doctor winced at her mother’s relentless criticism. It had started with the wedding; then Lance, then work, then Susan Carter’s daughter who was obviously better than Donna at absolutely everything and more, but then she came to the Doctor.

“I mean, what kind of doctor even are you and, missy, I want to hear it from him not you!” She exclaimed, cutting off her daughter whose eyes had withdrawn from the conversation in silent defeat.

“I-well-err,” He started, “science, mainly. Sometimes art, philosophy, engineering.”

“Ah, a vanity degree then. More than Donna’s got. She never could hold down a proper job, couldn’t even finish her A-levels. Could you madam? And don’t even get me started on the boyfriends. How many have you had? All nice boys then she goes and opens her gob.”

“Sylvie.” Geoff warned gently before averting his gaze too.

“Well, I’m not wrong, am I? She’s not exactly a highly functioning member of society. Where are you-?” She began, the scraping of chair legs against the hardwood floor halting her rampage. The timelord glared pointedly, flashing his gaze between the now reticent Sylvia and the Donna shaped space beside him. It all made sense then: the shouting, the intrinsic insecurity. A wounded animal is bound to lash out.

He too stood, lingering against the doorframe before turning back to his new friend’s mother with a slight fire in his eyes. “She’s brilliant, your daughter. Braver than you could ever imagine and, I’m realising now, more resilient than she should have to be. And she’s kind. You should take a leaf out of her book Mrs Noble.”

* * *

Donna huffed, her hot breath painting the clear night sky with temporary gossamer clouds. She was all too aware of the frozen grass scraping against her thighs and the goose pimples that decorated her arms as enthusiastically as her freckles, but she didn’t care. She’d felt invincible standing above the empty bed of the river, the Doctor gripping her hand firmly, like an anchor, which was ironic considering he was the one leading her away from home. She was sure he’d retract his offer now that her mother had shined the harsh light of day on to her personality. Who would want someone as feckless as her loose on the universe?

The Doctor padded up the icy hill silently. He didn’t want to disturb the ginger, whose hair shined like a beacon in the black, for fear he’d feel the full force of her palm against his cheek for a third time. He thought about trying to talk to her, a million different potential responses and outcomes burning in his mind. Instead, he opted for clearing his throat, notifying her of his presence whilst leaving the conversation open for her to trigger.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, her words catching on the flurry of white gently falling from above.

“What for.” He replied simply, moving his body to sit beside her.

“For ruining your Christmas.”

He laughed kindly then. “I think it was me who accidentally kidnapped you and anyway, I think my presence ruined your Hanukkah more than anything.

“Don’t be silly. Mum would’ve found something to grumble about regardless. When I was nine, Dad had wanted to celebrate with the Halfons, and Mum had prepared all of the food before he changed his mind the night before. She didn’t speak to him until New Year’s.” She paused, a comfortable silence settling between them. “I don’t mind if you don’t want to take me with you Doctor.”

“Why ever would you think that?” He questioned, pulling her into a tight hug that was the perfect combination of familiar and awkward. “Come on.” He started again, standing swiftly and pulling her with him. “I’m not having you sulk up here all night, we’re going to find something beautiful and you’re going to realise how desperately the universe needs a Donna Noble!”

* * *


	2. The almost collision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Donna's first adventure.

**“** Where are we then?” She said, her stomach rolling from the unforgiving turbulence of the time vortex.

“Hopefully an alien planet.” He replied absently, scanning over the monitor with practiced eyes.

“What do you mean hopefully? You better not have dropped us in the middle of a black hole or something!”

“Want to have a look?” He questioned, disregarding her glare and wiggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Her face changed then, a new kind of spark igniting in her belly, spreading until her insides churned with a kind of fear that spurred her on rather than held her back. A contagious smile spread across her features as the two travellers made their way towards the door, Donna trailing a few steps behind the Doctor. He pulled the wood back, a clean artificial light spilling over their senses and revealing a pristine lobby. She could hear the low hum of an automated hologram welcoming the visitors to what sounded like ‘The Astrolla Central Leisure Centre’ and looked to her friend who was now hopping about excitedly.

White tile adorned the walls, breaking only to give room for the gossamer windows that she swore were shaking in the light breeze. Beyond the glass, or glass like material, stood purple mountains encased with vibrant red clouds that looked as if someone had thrown a fistful of bloody cotton wool at them. Even further behind shone two blinding orbs that resembled what she knew to be suns. 

“Welcome to the planet Astrolla Donna Noble! Home to the crystalline caves of the Ealara mountains!” He exclaimed, making her dizzy with his twirling.

“Supposed to be empty?” The red head remarked curtly, ever the cynic.

“What?” He began, flatly. “Oh. No. No, it’s not. That’s strange. The Astrons have always been very social people.” He looked around then, taking in the abandoned reception desk and slightly lower than normal room temperature.

“Maybe it’s a bank holiday?” She questioned.

“They don’t have bank holidays. You see Donna, the Astrons were a rather reclusive people until you humans came with your starship enterprise and holiday destination. Your lot turned this place into a tourist planet, the poor Astrons had no choice but to comply!”

“Don’t get antsy with me Martian or I shall take a holiday brochure and shove it-“

“SHHHHHH!” He interrupted, placing a calloused hand over her mouth as her eyes widened in shock or maybe outrage. “Do you hear that?”

She shook her head, peeling his palm from her face and lowering her voice “Hear what?”

“That!” He said, after a whimpering like sound could be heard coming from an adjoining room.

“Not so alone then.” Donna murmured as the Doctor gently took her hand and lead her behind a pillar that gave a clear view of the sound’s source.

In front of them was the figure of a person curled into the foetal position, shaking with painful sobs that echoed throughout the room. They couldn’t have been older than fourteen, their skin still youthfully pink and spattered with freckles. Their dark hair cascaded down their back, the front pieces sticking to their moist temples, contrasting harshly against their orange t-shirt. A potted fern obscured the rest of the person’s face, though Donna was sure the Doctor would have some other name for it. _No Donna, it’s a [insert name of strange flora she’d never heard of here], not a fern._ She could hear him chastise.

“Hello.” The Doctor spoke softly, exiting their hiding place and placing his hands into his trouser pockets. “I’m the Doctor and this is- Donna you can come out.”

“Oh sorry. I’m Donna.” She replied gingerly, standing beside her friend and taking in the person’s desperate expression. “What’s your name sweetheart?”

“I really didn’t mean too, I promise! I was just so scared, and it was coming, and I didn’t want them to get hurt so I just did it and I didn’t think I’m so sorry!” They cried. Donna moved closer, crouching beside them and resting a manicured palm on their shoulder.

“What did you do?” The human asked, lacing her words with a silent comfort.

“You don’t know?”

“No.” The Doctor stated, eyeing the exchange warily.

“I put them all away. I made them leave so I could save them!”

“I’m sure that whatever it is, we can fix it. Can’t we Doctor? Doctor?”

“What was your name?” He questioned, a hint of darkness washing through his eyes.

“Creela.”

* * *

The Doctor’s fingers danced through the glowing screen of the main lobby’s computer, each new page causing his brow to furrow in contemplation. He seemed to get stuck on one particular image that displayed a rock like object hurtling towards what Donna presumed to be the planet they were standing on, his eyes narrowing and knuckles turning white with his intense grip on the marble desk. His glasses perched loyally on the end of his nose and the gears in his head turned deafeningly in the hushed room.

“It’s an asteroid.” He finally confessed, breaking the silent tension that stretched between himself and the image. “But where are the people and why didn’t they just put the shields up?”

“They wanted to watch it.” Creela replied as they stood underneath Donna’s draped arm. “Said it would be pretty.”

“But this graphic clearly shows that the asteroid was going to collide with the planet. Why would they lower the oxygen and force fields if they knew it would kill them?”

“Maybe they were part of some weird cult?” Donna supplied, her mind flicking back to the Jonestown documentary that’d been playing in the background the morning of her doomed wedding day.

The Timelord regarded the two carefully, testing the taste of his friend’s words on his tongue. He knew some cultish planets and others with strange sacrificial customs but Astrolla certainly wasn’t one of them. It was highly unlikely that a tourist planet would intentionally destroy itself.

“They wouldn’t do that.” Creela replied out loud, responding to what the Doctor had been sure were private thoughts. “They didn’t know. I saw it and tried to warn them, but they didn’t listen, and I got upset and I didn’t mean to, but I did.” They sobbed, paying no regard to the matching puzzled looks the two adults sported.

“Where exactly are you from Creela?”

“Gaathea.”

“Ah!” The Timelord exclaimed. “You’re a Gabore soothsayer! Amazing people no concept of gender or time. Beautiful culture! Your lot could give the timelords a run for their money with your telepathic abilities. Well, if you weren’t allergic to nearly everything in the known universe. And you weren’t obsessed with defeating the Troks. And maybe if you-“

“Doctor!” Donna chided, tilting her head and widening her eyes in a scolding manor.

“Right. Sorry. Asteroid. What exactly did you see? Can you show me?” He questioned, tentatively hovering his fingers over Creela’s temples until they nodded, and contact was made.

_The flaming rock scorched the ashy terrain of the mountains, imploding on impact and unleashing a wave of unforgiving heat on the tourists in tea dresses and casual suits, their cocktails shattering as their bodies crashed against the ground. Creela could feel it: the relentless pain that tore through the collective consciousness. It scratched at their synapses like dust on sensitive skin and boiled over into a raw tingling sensation that forced them to double over._

The doctor stepped back, understanding now exactly what Creela had done.

“Well?” Donna started “What exactly did you see?”

“Fire.” He muttered, the vision’s ghost still lingering over his glazed eyes, reminding him of a past he’d rather forget. The haunted look that played across his features made Donna hold her breath. She could see the storm then. The hurt and anger she didn’t quite understand but still recognised. It was the same look her grandfather gave when he spoke of the war. “They’re in a pocket universe.” He stated enthusiastically, breaking his tortured reverie and looking up at his friend.

“What’s that when it’s at home then?”

“Think of it as a bubble. Creela is young, unexperienced. They can’t quite control their telepathic ability yet and the vision they had was so strong it sent out a wave of psychic energy that essentially willed the pocket universe into existence and removed all of the people from danger.”

“Right.” Donna replied, not quite understanding but feeling too inadequate to question the Doctor further.

“If I could just-“ He began, fiddling with some exposed wires and whirring his sonic “Ah!” He growled; his annoyance contagious. “I can’t get into the system without the manager’s handprint and guess where he is!”

“Well can’t we just hop back in time, stop Creela from doing it and be on our way?” The ginger suggested, eyes hopeful.

“Paradox. If we change the event that caused us to go back in time, we never would have changed it in the first place. Although...” He scrutinised, pointing his sonic at the computer system once more. “If I can establish a telepathic link between the TARDIS and Creela, the old girl can help them to create another wave of psychic energy to bring the pocket universe back in line with this one! Oh, you are brilliant Donna Noble!”

She beamed at him then, not quite sure of what she’d suggested but proud of her intuition anyway. She watched as he repeated his earlier actions on the computer and a countdown of sorts flashed on screen.

“We’ve got approximately two and a half hours until that asteroid hits. Two and a half hours to establish the psychic connection, bring them all back and lift the shields! We’re going to need a lot of energy though and I don’t think the TARDIS can do it.” He sighed.

“I never thought a trip to see the crystalline caves of whatyoumahoosit would start with us stopping an asteroid crash.” Donna thought out loud, returning the Doctor’s instant grin with a quizzical grimace.

“You. Are. Brilliant.” He shouted, running back towards the TARDIS as the other two followed his lead. He twirled around the console expertly, dashing from one switch to the next before finally finding his mallet and slamming it against what looked like an old golf ball. They all braced themselves against the railings, but nothing happened. The ship huffed at its thief, defiantly staying put in the lobby.

“She won’t take us there.” The Timelord stated flatly.

“Where?” Creela questioned.

“The caves. They’re a huge psychic energy source but of course this old girl refuses to go anywhere near them.”

“We can walk!” The humanoid offered triumphantly, exiting the box and leading their new friends towards the life suits.

* * *

The cool crystal wall felt nice against Donna’s back, a soothing kind of nice that counteracted the frustration her friend’s insistent pacing triggered within her. She felt light-headed, like she’d climbed a really tall mountain or dived too deep in the sea. The bright twinkling of the pink crystal didn’t help either. She felt like she was dreaming and if it wasn’t for the dull thrumming in her skull, she would’ve believed she was.

“It’s the energy.” Creela spoke softly, resting a hand on Donna’s shoulder. “That’s what the headache is. And we’re running out of oxygen so that’s why you feel light-headed.”

“Oh right.” Donna offered feebly in return. She turned her attention back to the Doctor who was now staring intently at various wires he’d clipped into the walls. He twirled them around his fingers, closing his eyes to test their vibrations.

“Are you ready?” He aimed at Creela as they walked towards him, silently giving their consent. “I’m going to connect you to the energy then I’m going to establish the psychic link between you and the TARDIS. Donna I need you to stay with Creela so that I can go back to the lobby and make sure the shields are up.”

“Ok.” She stood, tripping over her own feet as black dots appeared in her vision. She felt two thin arms holding her steady and heard the click of a new oxygen pipe attaching to her suit. In the time she’d blacked out the Doctor had performed his list of tasks and she’d been propped up against a dusty pillar unceremoniously with her friend’s jacket tossed over her to ward of the chill.

“Donna, I’ve given you my tank. You need it more than I do. Good luck. Stay safe.” He whispered, planting a friendly kiss on her head and leaving the cave before she had the energy to protest.

Her throat felt dry as she scrambled to her feet, watching as Creela focused intently on one particular crystal hanging from the ceiling. This one was bigger than the others and seemed to hum something oddly comforting straight into her brain. They focused until the cave shone brightly, glistening like a lighthouse at midnight and causing Donna to hide behind her hands.

* * *

“Wow.” Donna exclaimed, gripping the Doctor’s hand like her life depended on it as asteroid DoctorDonna passed by to a collection of gasps and wide eyes. It seemed to catapult from between the two suns only to skim the edge of the skyline before disappearing in a cloud of purple sparks. Maybe the universe was beautiful after all.

“Ready to go?” The Timelord asked, looking down at his friend with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

“Ready.”

* * *


End file.
